EDMONDS, WASH., March 21, 2013 – Swedish Health Services will open a new outpatient cancer center at the Edmonds campus on Monday, April 1, 2013 in response to the growing need for medical oncology and infusion (chemotherapy) services in the south Snohomish and north King County area. The new two-story, 17,102-square-foot facility is anticipated to handle as many as 175 patient visits each day and provide increased access to cancer-care services for people living north of Seattle.

“The number of people turning to Swedish/Edmonds for their cancer treatment has grown over the last decade,” said Richard McGee, M.D., one of five Swedish Cancer Institute medical oncologists who will practice at the new center. “This new facility will allow us to offer enhanced care to a growing population.”

The center, which is located at 21632 Highway 99 in Edmonds, will provide high-quality and comprehensive medical oncology services to patients through an infusion unit, laboratory, pharmacy, and access to Swedish’s electronic medical record system. As a hospital-based department, patients will also have access to social work, support groups, American Cancer Society navigation and resources, financial counseling, cancer-specific patient education classes, and an education/resource wall.

The Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) has a longstanding history of bringing high-quality treatments, services and expertise closer to home for people affected by cancer. The new center at Swedish/Edmonds is the newest addition to the Institute’s comprehensive network of community-based cancer centers located throughout the Puget Sound area. Other SCI sites include downtown Seattle (First Hill and Cherry Hill), Ballard, Bellevue, Issaquah and Burien.

“Providing excellent care starts with improving access,” said Thomas D. Brown, M.D., MBA, executive director of Swedish Cancer Institute. “New centers such as this one at Swedish/Edmonds will help ensure patients in our communities have continued convenient access to the highest quality cancer care available.”

As a nonprofit health-care provider, Swedish has welcomed support from the community to help fund a portion of the $10.9 million center. Many generous community and business leaders have united to expand cancer services at Swedish/Edmonds, raising $220,000 for the project. Philanthropy will continue to play a key role in helping ensure local patients facing a cancer diagnosis have access to the highest quality of care, the best technologies, and a broad spectrum of support services.

The new cancer center at Swedish/Edmonds will open for community tours Wednesday, April 17 from 4-7 p.m.

Design-build firm, RAD Technology Medical Systems – a specialty modular health-care contractor – collaborated with design architects Perkins + Will to develop the modular building comprised of 29 factory-built units, which were erected on the site over just two days in December of last year. Skanska USA was responsible for the site development.

“This project is exciting for numerous reasons. One of those is that later this year Swedish will enhance cancer services at the Edmonds campus through a $4.95 million improvement for radiation therapy services, which includes a new state-of-the-art linear accelerator that will go into use in late 2013,” said David Jaffe, chief executive of Swedish/Edmonds. “Another huge advantage of the new center is that it will bring state-of-the-art cancer care closer to home, which makes a real difference for patients and their families.”

About The Swedish Cancer Institute

Since 1932, the Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) has been at the forefront of cancer treatment. It is Washington state’s oldest and largest cancer treatment program. The Institute is headquartered at Swedish’s First Hill campus in Seattle and includes hundreds of leading experts – including medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, researchers and other specialists – who dedicate their lives to helping patients and treating various types of cancers. For more information about the Swedish Cancer Institute or new SCI initiatives, visit www.swedish.org/cancer.

About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 103 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; and Swedish Medical Group, a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter, or www.twitter.com/swedish.

About Providence Health & Services

Providence Health & Services is a not-for-profit Catholic health-care ministry committed to providing for the needs of the communities it serves – especially for those who are poor and vulnerable. In 2012, Providence affiliated with Swedish Health Services, expanding both organizations’ ability to carry out their individual missions. With this affiliation, the combined scope of services includes 32 hospitals, 350 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing and many other health and educational services. The health system employs more than 64,000 people across five states – Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington – with its system office located in Renton, Wash. In 2011, Providence provided more than $651 million in community benefit, including nearly $204 million in free and discounted care for those who could not afford to pay for care. Providence Health & Services continues a tradition of caring that the Sisters of Providence began more than 155 years ago. In 2011, Swedish provided more than $145 million in community benefit in Western Washington. Together, Providence and Swedish are working to improve quality, increase access and reduce the cost of care in all of the communities they serve. For more information, visit www.providence.org.

Pre-Opening Media Tour

In advance of it opening, news media are invited to tour and learn about the new cancer center at Swedish/Edmonds on Wednesday, March 27 between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Interested reporters can come by anytime during the two-hour window. Two medical oncologists – Drs. Richard McGee and Eileen Johnston – and medical oncology nursing supervisor Andy Case will lead the tour(s). Media interested in attending should simply contact (206-998-5028, media@swedish.org).

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Media Coverage

To read a related article posted March 22 on the Puget Sound Business Journal web site, click here.

To read a related article posted March 22 on EdmondsPatch.com, click here.

To read a related article posted March 22 on MyEdmondsNews.com, click here.

To read a related article posted March 28 on The (Everett) Herald web site, click here.

To read a related article posted March 28 on MyEdmondsNews.com, click here.

To read a related article posted April 4 on The Edmonds Beacon web site, click here.